In modern aircraft the tanks are preferably integrated in the wings. This results in space savings in the region of the fuselage cell and at the same time in a reduction in weight and in an advantageous distribution of mass.
In particular in aircraft of a so-called high-wing construction there is however a problem in that in the case of the slightest leakage in the wing tank, fuel and/or volatile substances enter the fuselage cell situated below. Nonetheless in the past not all aircraft types were equipped with protective devices for this eventuality, a situation which against the background of increasingly stringent safety regulations and environmental regulations in modern aircraft construction is no longer acceptable.
The same problem, albeit to a lesser extent, exists in the case of passenger aircraft and cargo aircraft of the known low-wing design, in which any uncontrolled leakage of at least gaseous substances from the wings situated underneath the fuselage cell and the wing box with the wing tanks provided therein to the passenger cabin needs to be stopped, in particular in order to prevent health hazards and in order to meet the requirements of the airworthiness authorities.
The solutions known from the state of the art are, however, either too expensive or of too rigid a design, and consequently result in an often unacceptable increase in weight, and/or their sealing effect is not guaranteed with adequate safety over the expected lifetime or the prescribed maintenance cycles of the aircraft.
It is the object of the invention to create a safe and at the same time also easily installable barrier to prevent liquids and/or gases from a wing tank from entering the fuselage cell structure of an aircraft, which barrier, moreover, provides adequate mechanical strength vis-à-vis the pressure differentials experienced.